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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. object — to protest
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — an aim
  6. stand — to bear
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — all right
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com